Strip printer and burster



' March 3, 1959 Filed March 29, 1954 D. H. WRIGHT STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR OU/Q'NE ff. 14 19/66 7;

ATTORNEYS March 3, 1959 D. H. WRIGHT 2,875,589

STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER v Filed March 29, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS March 3, 1959 D. H. WRIGHT 2,875,689

STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER Filed March 29, 1954 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR ou/v/v nae/6H7;

ATTORNEKS March 3, 1959 D'. H. WRIGHT 2,875,689

STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER Filed March 29, 1954 I 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY March 3, 1959 D. H. WRIGHT 2,875,589

STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER Filed March 29, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS March 3, 1959 D. H. WRIGHT I 2,875,689

STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER" T Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 29, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 3, 1959 V D. H. WRIGHT 2,875,689

STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER Filed March 29, 1954 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR DOW/MA? h. IVE/6H7;

ATTORNEYS ill United States Patent STRIP PRINTER AND BURSTER Duane H. Wright, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, assignor to R. L.-Crain Limited, Ottawa, Ontario", Canada,. acor-. poration of Canada Application March 29, 1954, Serial No. 419,351

Claimsv priority, application Canada. April .1, 1953:

6. Claims. (Cl. 101-227) This invention relates to a paper strip severing machine and more particularly to a bursterfor transversely severing a strip having weakened severance lines to provide a stack of individual sheets.

The present invention relates more specifically to improvementsin a burster of the type in which there is strip feeding means, a pair of restraining or snubbing rolls to protect the strip feeding means and a pair of snatch rolls which turn at a greater peripheral speed than the restraining rolls, thus acting to tear or burst the weakened severance lines in the portion of thestrip between the pairs of rolls. The rolls of each pair are intermittently parted and returned to gripping relationship with the strip. The bursting action occurs while both pairs of rolls are gripping the strip. The feeding means projectsthe strip forward between the rolls while the rolls are parted to insert a new weakened portion of the strip into position for severance.

In-general the object of this invention is to provide a bnrster of the type described having improved efiiciency and flexibility of performance as compared with machines previously developed for similar purposes. 1

According to one aspect of this invention, tearing of the: weakened portion of the strip is facilitated by the provision of finger means depressing one margin of the portion: of the strip between said rolls. This furrows the strip. and gives a concentration of stresses which initiates transverse tearing.

According to another aspect of this invention, the intermittent gripping action of the restraining and snatch rolls is achieved by mounting one roll of each pair on pivotal arms, the motion of which is controlled by a cam. The pivot. point of these arms is vertically adjustable to provide a control of the timing between the engagement and: disengagement of the restraining rolls and the engagement and disengagement of the snatch rolls, and to vary the friction ratio between these pairs of rolls. A further inventive feature is the provision of adjustable spring means acting towards the cam and tending to increase the grip between the rolls of each pair.

A further inventive. feature is the provision of auxiliary feeding means acting on the strip immediately prior to its passage between/the restraining rolls. This auxiliary feeding means comprises a pair of tensioning or speed up rolls rotating at a. greater peripheral speed than the pin wheels which normally provide the main feeding means. The tensioning rolls are adapted to permit slip between the strip and the tensioning rolls.

Further inventive features include animproved slitter for removing the apertured or perforated marginal portions of the strip. A rotary slitter is mounted heteroaxial- 1y on a supporting shaft, and a lever arm terminating in a yoke is also mounted on the supporting shaft. Rotation of a cam engaged by this yoke biases the slitter into position. Another inventive feature is an improved guide means for placing .a curl in the effected severed sheets to rigidify the sheets while they aaredropping onto the, stack. The guide means act on the margins of the 2 1 sheet, allowing the central portion to sag. The guide means are transversely adjustable to control the degree to which the paper is curled and to accommodate dilferent sheet widths.

Another inventive, feature relates to an improved receptacle for the stack of severed sheets in which there is a base plate, a stopplate hinged to the base plate and additional guide plates hinged to the upper edge of the stop plate and to the forward edge of the base plate to enable the stop means provided by the stop plate and the guide plate hinged to it to be adjusted both as to distance.

from the snatch rolls and as to inclination. from the vertical, and to enable the stack to be either upright or inclined according to the requirement of the sheets being of the machine and the side opposite to that illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view taken from the same side as Figure 3, but from a different angle and showing the machine ,withthe. side enclosure removed.

Figure 5 is, a perspective view showing the same side of the machine as Figure 2, but with the side enclosure of the machine removed.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation view of the machine.

Figure 7 is a detailed elevation view of the slitter, its mounting and the strip feeding means.

Figure 8 is a detailed sectional view of the finger which depresses an edge of the strip and of the supporting arms in which the upper rolls are journalled.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises side frame plates 10 and 11 joined together by suitable tie rods 12, 13, 14 and 15 and by base plate 16. Base plate 16 has downwardly projecting studs 17 to afford mounting feet for the machine. Also extending between side frame plates 10 and 11 are curved end plate 18 which is secured to the side frame plates through brackets 19, back plate 20 secured to the side frame through brackets 21, end plate 22 and receptacle base plate 23, which is secured by brackets 24 and 25 respectively. Outer casings 10A and 11A are secured to plates 10 and 11 respectively and enclose the gearing shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The strip orcontinuous form which is imprinted and transversely severed by this machine is shown at 26. It includes a series of sheets 27 connected together to provide a continuous strip by weakened transve se lines 28. Along each margin of the strip is a series of apertures 29. The marginal edges of the strip containing these apertures are normally connected to the body of the strip by weakened longitudinal lines 30. The margins may, alternatively, be free of longitudinal weakening lines such as perforations. A strip of a single thickness is illustrated, but it will be appreciated that a plurality of thicknesses in manifolding relationship may be processed. The strip passes over guide plates 31 and 32 and under retaining plate 33 which are parallel to plate 32. These guide the strip to pin wheels 34, the pins of which engage apertures 29 at the margins of the strip. A rotary slitter 35 bears on the weakened longitudinal lines 30 to sever the perforated marginal portions as the strip is fed forwardly. .These severed margins pass downwardly through the space between pin wheels 34 and plate 20. The main body of the strip is guided by a forwardly inclined extension 36 of plate'20 between rolls 37 and 38. Roll 38 has imprinting segments 39 spaced about its periphery to coincide with the longitudinal width of the individual sheets of the form. Roll 37 is a backing roll and rotates at the same peripheral speed as roll 39. Roll 38 is supplied with conventional ink supplying means such as inking roll 40 and reservoir 41. The supporting carriage 42 for the inking means is mounted on rod 43. Inking roll 40 is driven by shaft 44.

The strip, after it has been imprinted, passes between speed up rolls 45 and 46. The lower roll 46 is driven at a peripheral speed greater than that of backing roll 37. Upper rolls 45 are mounted on shaft 47 which is journalled in upwardly extending grooves 43 to permit upward displacement of rolls 45. The assembly of rolls 45 and shaft 47 is of light weight construction and therefore the frictional gripping force exercised by the speed up rolls will be low and slip will be permitted between the speed up rolls and the strip. The speed up rolls perform the dual function of tensioning the portion of the strip which is being imprinted by roll 38 and of providing an auxiliary feeding means for the restraining and snatch rolls;

The speed up rolls pass the strip between a pair of restraining or snubbing rolls 49 and 50 and from thence the strip travels between a pair of snatch rolls 51 and 52. An upwardly and forwardly inclined guide plate 53 insures the passage of the strip into the snatch rolls. The upper rolls 50 and 52 of the restraining and snatch rolls are preferably rubber faced and the lower rolls 49 and 51 are knurled. Lower rolls 49 and 51 are mounted on drive shafts 54 and 55 respectively which are journalled in side plates and 11. Upper rolls 50 and 52 are mounted on shafts 56 and 57 respectively which are journalled in pivoted arms 58. Arms 58 are pivoted in mountings generally designated at 59 which are constructed in a conventional manner to provide vertical adjustment of the pivot points of arms 58 by the rotation of control knobs 60. Cams 61 mounted on shaft 62 act on cam followers 63 which are carried by arms 58 to impart an intermittent pivotal movement to arms 58. This pivotal movement or vibration causes rolls 50 and 52 alternately to be brought into and out of frictional gripping position. Compression springs 64, the adjustment of which is controlled by rotating knob 65, tend to press arms 58 downwardly to increase the gripping action of each pair of rolls. The adjustment of compression spring 64 also provides a useful control for the action of the restraining and snatch rolls. Snatch rolls 51 and 52 are rotated at a greater peripheral speed than rolls 49 and 50. This exerts a bursting tension on the weakened transverse severance line of the portion of the strip between the restraining and snatch rolls. Pivot point 59 is arranged so that snatch rolls 51 and 52 will engage after restraining rolls 49 and 50 are engaged and will disengage prior to the disengagement of the restraining rolls. The restraining rolls therefore protect the strip feeding mechanism throughout the action of the snatch rolls and prevent premature severance. The time lapse between the engagement or disengagement of the restraining rolls and the engagement or disengagement of the snatch rolls is controlled by vertical adjustment of pivot point 59. After bursting of the strip has taken place, arms 58 will be pivoted upwardly to permit auxiliary feeding and speed up rolls 45 and 46 to project a fresh section of strip between the pairs of restraining and snatch rolls. To increase the efficiency, or the bursting effect of a finger 66, shown in detail in Figure 8, bears downwardly on the portion of the strip between the restraining and the strip. This lengthens the portion of strip between the pairs, of rolls adjacent to one marginal edge, thereby producing a concentration of stresses at that margin to give a tearing action. The tear once initiated rapidly extends throughout the transv'efrse width of the strip. The marginal edges of the severed sheets expelled by snatch rolls 51 and 52 pass over guide means 67 which are plates inwardly downwardly inclined to place a slight curl in the sheets. This rigidifies the sheets as they are dropping into receptacle 68 to prevent the sheets from crumpling or folding. Guide means 67 are clipped to front plate 22 to permit their transverse adjustment for different strip widths and to change the extent to which each sheet is curled. 4

The receptacle 68 is constructed to accommodate a range of sheet dimensions and to enable the sheets to be stacked in a variety of different manners. Receptacle 68 is normally defined by vertical plate 22, horizontal receptacle base plate 23 and a stop plate 69 hinged adjacent to the forward edge of plate 23. Plates'10 and 11 define the sides of the receptacle. 70 connect stop plate 69 with side plates 10 and 11 and enable the stop plate to be adjusted to the angle most effective for guiding the sheets which strike the stop plate into an orderly pile within the receptacle. Stop plate 69 can also be positioned so that it will afford a continuation of base plate 23. Further flexibility in the adjustment of the stop plate is obtained by providing a plate 71 hinged at 72 to the upper edge of stop plate 69. This gives a range of adjustment not only to the distance of the stop means away from the snatch rolls but also of the angle of slope of the stop means. not stack properly in conventional receptacles and this possibility of adjusting the angle of the stop means provides a convenient and effective means for dealing with these. In addition, there is provided a plate 73 hinged to receptacle base plate 23 at 74 adjacent to the junction between base plate 23 and stop plate 69. A supporting bar 75' provided with perpendicular legs 76 is held on 1 plate 73 and provides a means for supporting plate 73 apparent from Figures 4 and 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a prime mover such as an electric motor 77 having a drive shaft 78 upon which is mounted a pulley 79. Band 80.

transmits the drive from pulley 79 to flywheel 81 which is mounted on the shaft 55 of snatch roll 51. Meshing spur gears 82 and 83 mounted on shafts 55 and 57 respectively cause snatch roll 52 to be rotated at the same speed as and in an opposite direction to snatch roll 51. Flywheel 81 is partly broken away in Figure 5 toreveal idler wheel 84 which communicates the drive from gear 85 which is mounted on shaft 55 to gear 86 which is mounted on shaft 54 to drive restraining roll 49. It will be noted that gear 86 is larger in diameter than gear 85 so that the snatch rolls will rotate at several times the speed of the restraining rolls. Gear 87 mounted on shaft 54 meshes with gear 88 mounted on shaft 50 to drive upper restraining roll 50 at the same speed as but in an opposite direction to lower restraining roll 49. Gear 86 is partly broken away to show gear 89 coaxial with-gear 86 which meshes with idler gear wheel 90. Idler gear 90 transmits the drive to pinion 91 which is mounted on" drive shaft 92. Shaft 92 carries speed up roll 46. Gear 93 is also driven by idler gear 90. Gear 93 is mounted on the shaft 94 of backing roll 37 and meshes with gear 95. Idler gear 95 is mounted on idler pin 95A. Imprinting roll 38 is driven by gear 97 on shaft 96, which gear meshes with gear 98 of shaft 94. Gears 97 and 98 are at the opposite side of the machine to gears 93 and 95 and are located interiorly of side frame plate 10. Idler gears 95, 99 and 100 relay the drive from gear 93 to gear 101 which is mounted on the shaft 102 of pin wheel.

34,, Knob 103 connected with shaft 102provides means for initially threading theleading edge of strip into po Adjustable stays.

Some sheets of paper will sition, and knob 104 which acts through pinion 105 to turn gear 105A provides means for lowering and raising the backing roll or impression cylinder 37. The drive connection to cam 61 is provided, as is shown in Figure 4, by pinion 106 which is on drive shaft 54 of restraining roll 49. Pinion 106 meshes with idler gear 107. Idler 107 is engageable with any one of a plurality of gear wheels 108 of dififerent diameters by means of lever 109. Lever 109 will adjust gear 107 to move it in an arcuate path about the axis of shaft 54 and can also be manipulated to move gear 107 inwardly or outwardly. In this manner the gear ratio between pinion 106 and cam shaft 62 which carries gears 108 can be varied over a wide range to alter the timing of the action of cam 61. A plate 110 is secured parallel to side plate by tie rods 111 and provides bearings for shafts 54 and 62 and a mounting for lever 109. As best shown in Figure 3, plate 110 fits within an aperture 112 in casing 10A. Plate 110 is arcuately slotted at 113 to permit positioning pin 113A,

which carries slot 114A of gear 107, to be mounted in lever 109 and to be adjusted to provide different gear ratios. Plate 110 also includes suitable locking apertures 114 engageable by lever 109 to lock the lever in its correst position, according to the gear ratio desired. A control knob 115 enables shaft 62 to be turned manually.

The details of the slitter for stripping the marginal portions of the strip will be apparent from Figure 7 which shows a slitter comprising a carriage 116 riding on shafts 102 and 117. Screw 118 locks the carriage to shaft 117. Guide 32 is provided by a laterally turned edge of the carriage and guide 33 is secured to the carriage by a hinge bracket 119 controlled by spring 120. Pin wheel 34 travels with the carriage and is driven by a key 121 which slidably engages a spline groove 122 in shaft 102. Slitter mounting 123 is carried by rod 124 which is journalled in carriage 116. Mounting 123 has a vertical groove 125 within which the bearing block 126 for the shaft 127 of rotary slitter wheel 128 is adjusted by means of screw 129. A yoke 130 extends from shaft 124 and engages cam 131. Rotation of hand lever 132 rotates cam 131 which is supported by carriage 116. This rotation of cam 131 biases yoke 130, turning slitter wheel 128, which is heteroaxially mounted with respect to shaft 124, into operative position.

Figure 8 shows the details of bursting finger 66. The bursting finger is illustrated as having a ball 133 mounted for universal rotation at the lower end of blade poition 134. Alternatively, a similar rounded rotary member such as a roller could be used to replace the ball. Blade portion 134 is slidably mounted in carriage 135. Knob 136 acts through screw 137 to provide vertical adjustment of blade 134 with respect to carriage 135. Carriage 135 is supported by rod 138 and is located near one end thereof. Rod 38 is supported by links 139 which are joined to pivoted arms 58. As is apparent from Figure 8, the lower end of finger 133 projects slightly below the common tangent to rolls 50 and 52 to initiate tearing at one edge of the strip.

A counting mechanism 140 is conveniently driven from cam shaft 62 by means of connecting rod 141 recipror cated by wheel 142 to count the number of sheets stacked.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a machine in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention presents many novel and inventive features as defined in the appended claims which contribute to achieve a more etficient and smoothly operating machine.

I claim:

1. A burster for transversely severing a strip having weakened transverse severance lines comprising strip feeding means, a pair of restraining rolls, a pair of snatch rolls, means for turning said snatch rolls at a greater peripheral speed than said restraining: rolls, means for substantially simultaneously oscillating vertically the upper roll of each pair of rolls to intermittently space the rolls of each pair from each other to permit the strip feeding means to pass the strip between said rolls, and finger means furrowing one margin of the portion of the strip between said rolls to initiate transverse tearing of weakened portions between said sheets and means for mounting said finger means for vertical oscillation in unison with said upper rolls to cause said finger means tobe retracted from the strip while the strip is being passed between the rolls.

2. A burster as in claim 1 in which the lower end of the finger terminates in a rounded rotary member which extends below the common tangent between the restraining rolls and the strip rolls to depress said margin of the strip.

3. A burster of the type having strip feeding means, a pair of restraining rolls, a pair of snatch rolls, the upper member of each pair of rolls or the lower member of each pair of rolls vibrating in unison to permit the advancement of the strip by the strip feeding means, a finger means bearing on at least one margin of said strip between said pairs of rolls to provide a tear initiating concentration of stresses, and means for mounting said finger for vibration in unison with the vibrating rolls.

4. In a burster of the character described, printing means for successively printing consecutive sections of a strip, said consecutive sections being connected together as a continuous form by weakened transverse severence lines, strip feeding means for feeding said strip to said printing means, a pair of restraining rolls for engaging the strip after it has been printed by said printing means, a pair of snatch rolls rotating at a greater peripheral speed than said restraining rolls, means for intermittently separating the members of each pair of rolls from each other, and auxiliary feeding means for feeding the strip be tween said restraining rolls and for tensioning the strip during printing of the strip by said printing means, said auxiliary means comprising a pair of tensioning rolls rotating at a greater peripheral speed than said strip feeding means and being adapted to permit slip between the strip and said tensioning rolls.

5. A burster as in claim 4 in which said printing means comprises a printing roller having printing elements on its periphery and a backing roller, said strip being adapted to pass between said printing roller and said backing roller.

6. A burster as in claim 4 in which the upper roll of said tensioning rolls is journalled in bearings permitting vertical displacement of said upper roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,055 Straight Sept. 2, 1913 1,873,480 Richards Aug. 23, 1932 2,157,228 Buccione et a1 May 9, 1939 2,191,497 Potdevin Feb. 27, 1940 2,239,454 Carlson Apr. 22, 1941 2,246,228 Winter June 17, 1941 2,252,720 Metzner Aug. 19, 1941 2,252,733 Sherman Aug. 19, 1941 2,252,734 Sherman Aug. 19, 1941 2,252,736 Sherman Aug. 19, 1941 2,328,859 Taylor Sept. 7, 1943 2,328,582 Ratchford Sept. 7, 1943 2,380,949 Davidson Aug. 7, 1945 2,412,085 Glush et al. Dec. 3, 1946 2,513,093 Hageman June 27, 1950 2,618,336 Davidson Nov. 18, 1952 2,662,598 Burdwood Dec. 15, 1953 

